Darlene has been committed to young people ever since she was a young person. As a tutor, mentor, mentee, and more she has seen and benefitted from positive influences throughout her life. She strongly believes that young people are brilliant in every sense of the word and often just need an opportunity to express it. Throughout her decade long STEM career she was committed to volunteering with organizations that provide new experiences to young people.

Prior to working at Summer Search, Darlene professionally shifted into education as a project manager for Cambridge Public School District. She was a part of the team that rolled out the first universal pre-k in the City of Cambridge. An opportunity to provide free early education to every demographic in the city meant a head start for all students.

Darlene has a B.S. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University and a M.S. from the University of Oregon. When she is not working, you can find Darlene listening to a podcast on a long drive as she finds a new beach to sit by, wonder, and write.